DATE=3/14/2000
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
TITLE=INDONESIA / ACEH (L-ONLY)
NUMBER=2-260155
BYLINE=PATRICIA NUNAN
DATELINE=JAKARTA
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: Officials from the International Committee
of the Red Cross are contradicting statements by
Indonesian President Abdurrahman Wahid that the
situation in the breakaway northern province of
Aceh is improving. As Patricia Nunan reports from
Jakarta, Red Cross officials say murder and
torture in the province are common.
TEXT: The Director General of the International
Committee of the Red Cross Paul Grossrieder says
the problems in Aceh have reached a critical
stage.
// ACT GROSSREIDER//
What I can tell you is that the delegates we have
on the spot are witnessing regularly arrests,
detentions, disappearances of civilians in
Aceh. This [you] can see again is the
humanitarian consequences of what's going on.
/// END ACT ///
Mr. Grossreider says up to 30 people contact the
Red Cross every week to ask for assistance
locating missing family members. But he says,
most are never found.
Mr. Grossredier refused to comment on who may be
responsible for the violence. But the Red Cross's
statements about the humanitarian crisis in Aceh
comes on the heels of a report issued last week
by the rights organization Amnesty International.
The rights group accused members of the
Indonesian Armed Forces of conducting a campaign
of intimidation in order to force human rights
monitors out of the province. Amnesty says the
move is part of a plan to renew its attempts to
crush a the guerrilla separatist group, the "Free
Aceh Movement."
Amnesty International says that almost 200 people
have died since the beginning of the year because
of the counter-insurgency plans.
Both the statements from the Red Cross and from
Amnesty International contradict assertions made
Monday by Indonesian President Abdurrahman Wahid,
who says the situation in Aceh is improving and
soldiers are not on the offensive.
///ACT Wahid //
So because of this, I think we will be able to
show to Aceh people that we didn't use violence.
We would like to have negotiations and I hope
that soon, the "Free Aceh Movement" will also
agree to that.
/// END ACT ///
The guerrilla "Free Aceh Movement" has been
fighting for independence since 1976. Analysts
say the group has gained sympathy across the
province because of what is considered to be
brutality on the part of Indonesian troops sent
to fight the rebels.
Most Acehnese want the right to hold an
independence referendum. But the president, along
with many other government officials, is against
the idea of a ballot, saying it would lead to the
disintegration of Indonesia.
NEB/PN/FC
14-Mar-2000 05:44 AM EDT (14-Mar-2000 1044 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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